State cracks down on nail salons

The Iowa Department of Public Health is cracking down on nail salons. Spokesman Kevin Teale says public health worked with Iowa’s Division of Inspections and Appeals to go take a look at the parlors where people pay to get polished, buffed and decorated down to their fingertips. He says they found a large number of businesses that weren’t following proper procedures.

Teale points out that it puts customers at risk. “There are diseases people can get if proper sanitation is not taken care of.” He says you could suffer an injury or lose the nail if it’s not taken care of properly and diseases are allowed to spread. “Sanitation’s very important to us in these cosmetology salons,” he adds.

The agency says from fungal infections to viruses of staph bacteria, all kinds of health problems can spread if the operators don’t take proper care. In extreme cases, the department’s report says you could suffer a hepatitis infection or even lose a finger or toe.

Teale says there’s a simple step you can take the moment you walk into a salon. “Look for a license,” he says simply. Under state law, both the establishment and the nail technicians themselves must be licensed. Check for those certificates and see that they’re current — and that means the workers have taken continuing education, are up o the latest techniques, and run the safest places in the state. If you have questions or want to file a complaint, you can contact the public-health agency to learn more.